Kiss the Girl
by time-converges
Summary: Donna finds a swingset while exploring the TARDIS. Final followup chapter added.
1. Kiss the Girl

"Why do you have a swingset?" Donna asked.

The Doctor followed her into the TARDIS's garden, a confused look on his face. "Do I? I don't remember one being in here." But there it was, off to one side.

Donna walked over to it, taking the chain of one of the swings in her hand. She pulled hard on the swing, looking back at the Doctor. "Do you think it's safe?"

"Should be. I don't think the TARDIS would leave it here otherwise."

Donna sat down on the swing, wrapping her hands around the chain. She closed her eyes against the memories that flooded her. She was seven years old again, on the playground with her friends, laughing as they soared higher and higher. When she opened her eyes again she found the Doctor sitting in the swing next to hers, looking at her intently. "Memories," she said. "There was a set just like this near the house when I was a kid."

The Doctor smiled. "I can see you as a little girl, ginger pigtails, skinned knees."

"That was me. Always in trouble for getting my clothes dirty." The chains creaked a little as she swung lightly back and forth, keeping her feet on the ground. She could feel him still looking at her, but didn't look at him.

"Do you ever think about having kids?" he asked.

She chuckled, " 'Course I do. I thought I'd be married with two kids by now. Funny how things work out differently than you planned."

"You're still young, it could still happen for you," he said. "You'd make a great mother."

She shook her head. "Too late now. Anyway, I've made my choice." She looked at him, but he didn't seem to be listening. He stood up and came around in front of her, grasping the chains of the swing to hold her still in front of him, leaning down over her. Her breath caught, because he wasn't looking into her eyes, but at her lips.

"Sometimes choices don't lead where we thought they would." He said, softly.

"What does that mean?" she asked, just as softly.

"I mean, sometimes we don't know what we want." He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You're not making sense," she whispered.

His eyes finally met hers, and he seemed to come back to himself, looking a bit guilty. The same look as he had had in the kitchen, after the detox. He straightened, letting go of the swing, and flashed his usual grin. "Want a push?"

He didn't wait for her to answer, but went around behind her, placing his hands on her back. She lifted her feet off the ground, and let him set the swing in motion. She felt her stomach drop at the top of the swing, where gravity seemed to drop away for a second, then felt his hands, reassuring on her back, every time she swung back. She wished he had kissed her. But there was plenty of time for that.


	2. The Doctor's Thoughts

He sat next to her, feeling every bit of his 900-odd years as she told him she had given up on having children. Because of him.

But how could she know? He hadn't known until now, picturing her - _their_ - children.

The light caught her hair, and he saw sadness in her eyes, and oh, he wanted to kiss her. One breath closer, and he would have covered her lips with his, started making promises to her about family and forever. But no.

He stopped himself, set the swing in motion. Hoped she would always come back to him.


	3. Better Late than Never

The swingset remained in the TARDIS garden, and Donna walked slowly to it, a little surprised to find it still there. She felt a lump in her throat, remembering the last playground she had been on. But then, it hadn't been real, had it? All in her mind. Well, a computer's mind. Her children, Lee - none of it real. She grabbed the chain of the swing, but didn't sit down on it. The metal was cold and rough under her hand, and she held onto it as she closed her eyes against the memories.

"Donna?"

She opened her eyes, but didn't turn toward the Doctor's voice. "Yeah." She heard his footsteps over the leaves on the ground, and felt him stop a little behind her.

"Are you alright?"

She smiled, sadly. "Yeah."

"Timelord 'alright' or really alright?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she said. She felt his hand on her shoulder, reassuring. "There was a playground. In the computer world. I took," she swallowed hard, trying to get the words out. "I took my children there."

"Donna--" his voice broke.

She turned to him and he put his arms around her, let her bury her face in his shoulder. "They weren't real," she said. He was, though. She could smell him, feel him, hear his heartbeat under her ear.

"Of course they were real to you," he said softly, stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry."

She tried, but failed to hold back a small hiccupy sob. Tears spilled out of her closed eyes onto his suitjacket and he held her closer, his hands soothing on her back. "I'm sorry," he whispered again.

She leaned into him as her tears stopped, and he just held her for long moments.

"Do you remember when you found the swings?" he finally asked, his voice soft.

She smiled a little against him, remembering. "Of course I do," she replied.

"You sat on the swing, and I could picture your children playing here." She felt his arms tighten around her. "Our children. I pictured our children."

She tilted her head back to look at him, placed her hands on his chest. "Our children?"

"You would be a terrific mother," he said. His eyes moved to her lips. "I should have kissed you then."

"Oh."

He met her gaze again. "I thought I had lost you. I saw your face on the statue in the library, and I thought--" he stopped, swallowed. "Donna--"

She moved her hands up to meet at the back of his neck, pulled him down to her, hungry for him. He made a surprised noise in the back of his throat as she moved her lips over his, or maybe she did when his tongue traced her lips, she couldn't be sure. She was sure that this was right, that he was right, and that they should have done this a long time ago. But, better late than never, she thought, as he trailed kisses down her throat.


	4. The Test

Donna looked at her reflection in the mirror, then back at the box that was sitting next to the sink. She was sure it hadn't been there before she had stepped into the shower, but it was definitely there now. She cast a glance upwards, and the lights dimmed slightly. The TARDIS did provide for all of their needs, and she supposed that meant she needed this. She picked up the box, gingerly, and read the words on the side. "Pregnancy test." She put the box down quickly, and looked back at herself in the mirror. Did the TARDIS know something? She tried to count the days. It was so easy to lose track, travelling. She picked up the box again, started reading the instructions on the back, tried to pretend her hands weren't shaking.

The Doctor burst in. "Donna? Aren't you dressed yet?"

She turned, startled, and quickly put the box behind her back. "Oi! Remember knocking?" she asked, hoping he hadn't seen the box.

"What d'you have there?"

"What? Nothing," she said quickly.

He reached around her as she tried to evade his grasp. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!" she protested, but the box fell from her hand and he snatched it up.

"Aha!" he said. "What do we have here?" He read the side of the box, as Donna felt her face flush. "When did you get this? _Why _did you get this?"

"I didn't! It just appeared on the countertop." She took it from him, gently prying his fingers away.

"D'you think--" he said, a grin spreading across his face.

"Won't know until I take the test, I suppose," she said, pushing him back toward the door and closing it behind him. She tried to focus on the instructions.

"Donna?" he called through the door.

"This will be easier if you don't talk to me for a minute," she said.

"Oh, of course."

A few minutes later, the completed test on the counter, she opened the door to find him still standing there. At least he had stayed quiet.

"Well?" he said, his voice a little higher than normal.

"Won't know for two minutes," she said.

"Oh," he said, his face falling. "Should you sit down or something?" He took her hand, and she hoped he wouldn't notice it was still trembling a little.

"Might as well," she said. Two minutes seemed like a very long time. She let him lead her over to the bed, where he sat down next to her, keeping hold of her hand.

"So," he said.

"So."

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Nervous," she laughed. "But fine otherwise."

"Good, that's good," he said.

"You?"

"Nervous," he admitted. "But in a good way," he added.

"Good." She turned his hand over in hers, traced his palm. "I'm glad we're finding out together," she said.

"Me too. Either way."

"Yeah, either way."

" 'Cause if you're not, y'know, we'll keep trying."

"Of course," she said. "We've only just started."

"Right."

"Right." She looked up at him. "Do you think it's been two minutes?"

He grinned, "Yes, just now."

"I'm a little afraid to look," she said, as she felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Me too."

"Together, then?"

"Together," he agreed, as he stood and helped her to her feet. She clutched his hand a little harder as they walked back to the bathroom and stood in front of the counter. She kept her eyes on his. "One two three go?" he said. She nodded.

"One, two, three," he said, and they both looked down at the test. A plus sign showed clearly in the indicator window.

"Plus means positive, right?" he asked. Donna nodded, a lump in her throat. She looked back at him, to see a huge grin on his face. She felt a matching smile begin at the corners of her mouth, and then he was kissing her, holding her tightly to him. He lifted her from the floor, then set her down quickly as she laughed. The lights dimmed, then brightened again.

"How did the TARDIS know?" she asked, his arms still loosely around her.

"No idea. But I think she's pleased."

"She won't mind having a little one running around?"

"No, I don't think she'll mind," he said. Donna thought she heard the faint strains of a lullaby in the background hum of the TARDIS as he kissed her again.


	5. Bananas

"I don't think she likes the bananas," Donna said, watching their daughter smear pureed bananas over the tray of her high chair.

"Nonsense, of course she likes them. She's just having a bit of fun, learning about textures and all that," the Doctor said, horrified at the thought that his daughter might not like bananas.

"And what's she doing now?" Donna asked, as little Mary rubbed the bananas into her hair, smiling broadly at both of them.

"Trying to see whether we'll stop her fun, I should think," he answered, smiling at her indulgently.

"Well, you can give her a bath after."

Mary stuck her fingers in her mouth, sucking off the banana mush. She made what the Doctor considered an approving noise, and he laughed.

"See, she likes it!"

Mary chortled at him, waving her hands enthusiastically, managing to fling a dollop of banana onto the Doctor's nose. Donna laughed, and wiped it with her finger. He grabbed her hand, and stuck her finger in his mouth, noisily removing all traces of the banana. "Oi!" Donna protested, but he silenced her with a kiss, broken only when they heard the unmistakable sound of Mary dropping the bowl on the floor.

"Ha!" Mary said, quite clearly.

"Ha, baby," Donna said. "Daddy's going to clean you up now." She kissed the top of her head as she rose. "Be a good girl."

* * *

Bathtime done, and all traces of banana removed, he sat in the rocking chair, humming tunelessly, watching her sleep. His daughter. Her tiny hand curled around the blanket and he touched it, smiling.

Donna appeared in the doorway and smiled, watching him. She moved to perch on the arm of the chair, leaning down to kiss him.

"She looks just like you," she said, "except ginger."

"Well done, I think."

"Don't you forget it."

He patted his lap. "There's room for both my girls."

She slid down, curled around them both, rested her head against his shoulder. He hummed again, rocking gently.


End file.
